Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Conservative Party Track Record – 39th Parliament, 1st Session

Stephen Harper & his Conservatives came to power in 2006 with the promise of State accountability and other minor issues that ignored major structural problems. With the exception of the former, we got the latter. Despite claiming to be different from Martin's Liberals, Harper's Tories governed in pretty much the same fashion. Even more proof that change won't come from elections. To paraphrase Frank Chodorov, change will only come through educating people.

For those that still believe the Tories are the lesser of the political evils, here's the evidence that the State (regardless of who runs it) is still a fundamentally criminal anti-social institution.

Here's a summary of what the Conservatives did from April 3, 2006 to September 14, 2007.

C-2An Act providing for conflict of interest rules, restrictions on election financing and measures respecting administrative transparency, oversight and accountability (Federal Accountability Act) – The President of the Treasury Board

Typically, if someone steals from you it doesn't really matter if you know where the money went. The problem is the theft itself, not how the money is spent. This Act is a response to the Sponsorship Scandal, a minor scandal involving the State doing what it does best - siphoning off wealth and destroying it. So far there haven't been any similar scandals with Harper's government, but millions are still being paid everyday for interest on a debt we can never pay off.

C-3An Act respecting international bridges and tunnels and making a consequential amendment to another Act (International Bridges and Tunnels Act) – The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Just useless bureaucratic management of international bridges and tunnels. Walter Block has a great book about how these things are best left to private ownership.

C-4An Act to amend An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act – The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

The amendments for the Income Tax Act are not amendments to repeal the theft. Therefore this is just more bureaucratic nonsense.

C-5An Act respecting the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada and amending certain Acts (Public Health Agency of Canada Act) – The Minister of Health

The consolidation of one bureaucracy over others. In a statist worldview this may increase efficiency, but in the reality the best option is privatization. In addition, this Act increases Federal power over health issues, and that's never a good idea.C-6An Act to amend the Aeronautics Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts – The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

More powers for certain bureaucracies, to investigate airplane crashes and regulate aircraft emissions, as well as more power for the Minister of Transport. The only good I can find in the bill is “more self-regulation in low-risk areas of the aeronautics industry (e.g., crop spraying)”

C-7An Act to amend the National Defence Act – The Minister of National Defence

Changes to the military justice system, making it less accountable to the Criminal Code and allowing “military judges and the Director of Defence Counsel Services, to be more independent and impartial.” Obviously, there are serious implications for soldiers wrongfully accused of military crimes. Just another reason to privatize defense.

In this session the bill never made it past first reading.

C-8An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the public service of Canada for the financial year ending March 31, 2007 (Appropriation Act No. 1, 2006-2007) – The President of the Treasury Board

Justification for taxation.

C-9An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conditional sentence of imprisonment) – The Minister of Justice

One of the many imprisonment acts the Tories like to play with. In this case, if you're a criminal or terrorist (yes, the Act defines the two terms differently) and subject to ten years in prison, then there is no way you can serve some of your sentence doing community service. Obviously, a criminal organization dictating rules to other potential criminals is hypocritical and just idiotic. Plus, it's hard to take the Criminal Code seriously when victimless crimes like growing, selling and smoking marijuana are considered an offense.C-10An Act to amend the Criminal Code (minimum penalties for offences involving firearms) and to make a consequential amendment to another Act – The Minister of Justice

Harsher penalties for individuals not conforming to the State's control over the use of firearms. It is a historic fact that before tyrannical governments start murdering their own people, first they disarm them. I'm not saying Harper is Hitler, I'm just pointing out the dangerous precedent gun control brings. When only the police have guns – then it is a police state.

C-11An Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act and the Railway Safety Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts – The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Not only is this more wealth-destroying bureaucratic regulations, but it gives more authority to the Minister of Transport.C-12An Act to provide for emergency management and to amend and repeal certain Acts (Emergency Management Act) – The Minister of Public Safety

Some changes to the State's emergency plans. It's all bullshit because when the shit hits the fan, everybody knows that the State is going to grab what they can and take off, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Essentially, this Act justifies more money to be stolen for “emergency” purposes.C-13An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on May 2, 2006 (Budget Implementation Act, 2006) – The Minister of Finance

This is where the HST started. This is also the Act that slashed the GST, as well as income taxes, introduced various tax credits and other goodies to please the electorate. The Tories eliminated the federal capital tax, but unfortunately that seems to be the only tax they eliminated. Tax reductions are better than tax increases, but the act itself is still theft.

Oh wait, they also eliminated capital gains tax on charitable donations of publicly-listed securities and ecologically-sensitive land... The Income Theft is still present, however.

C-14An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (adoption) – The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

“The bill allows for the granting of citizenship to non-Canadian children adopted abroad by Canadian parents, without requiring that such children first become permanent residents.”

Seems like a pretty good idea, but immigration – like all State activities – is better left to the market of voluntary exchange. Basing immigration on supply and demand instead of arbitrary decisions by bureaucrats is the first step in the long process of fixing our immigration system.

C-15An Act to amend the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act – The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Food may be the most State involved industry in Canada. There are some serious structural problems, and the solution will not come from minor amendments to Acts. No wonder the Liberals have made agriculture a major point in their platform – the Tories have done little for farmers, and what they have accomplished has made things much worse. As we'll see in later sessions.C-16An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act – The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

Fixed election dates... I don't want to tell you what to do, but please don't vote. It only encourages them.

C-17An Act to amend the Judges Act and certain other Acts in relation to courts – The Minister of Justice

More money for judges. Seriously, this bill “deals with judicial salaries and allowances, judicial annuities and other benefits pursuant to the Judges Act.” Law, judges, courts, is one of those things best left to the free market. Robert P. Murphy has written some great stuff about this and given some excellent lectures too.C-18An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to DNA identification – The Minister of Justice

“Bill C-18 amends the Criminal Code to clarify that a warrant can be executed for the arrest of a person who fails to appear for DNA sampling (which will become an offence) and that bodily samples can be taken by any Canadian police force that arrests the person.”

I don't really have to comment on this, the bill's own description is enough to persuade anybody that the Tories really don't care about individual freedom.

C-19An Act to amend the Criminal Code (street racing) and to make a consequential amendment to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act – The Minister of Justice

Many people are already familiar with this Act and have been subject to its tyranny. Basically, if you're speeding the cops can declare it “street-racing” (even if you're not racing anyone) and confiscate your car and even imprison you.

More powers for the Ministry of Transport and bureaucratic meddling in the functions of airports. Is it just me, or are the Tories trying to make it harder for Canadians to travel?

In this session the bill never made it past first reading.C-21An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (non-registration of firearms that are neither prohibited nor restricted) – The Minister of Public Safety

More regulations to disarm Canadians, even though the title seems to indicate the opposite.

In this session the bill never made it past first reading.

C-22An Act to amend the Criminal Code (age of protection) and to make consequential amendments to the Criminal Records Act – The Minister of Justice

The State's coercive arm reaches into the bedroom (or the back of a car) to tell 14 and 15 year olds that they can't have sex anymore. The age of consent was risen to 16. I remember when this was a big controversy in Canada, everybody feared those “clueless teenagers” under 16 would be afraid of breaking the law and therefore have unprotected sex. I think a better worry is not the unintended effects of this policy, but why this issue is considered the State's business to begin with.

C-23An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal procedure, language of the accused, sentencing and other amendments) – The Minister of Justice

Minor fixes (if they can be considered “fixes”) to fundamental problems.C-24An Act to impose a charge on the export of certain softwood lumber products to the United States and a charge on refunds of certain duty deposits paid to the United States, to authorize certain payments, to amend the Export and Import Permits Act and to amend other Acts as a consequence (Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006) – The Minister of International Trade

Remember when this was in the news? Everybody decried the Tories for giving into the American wishes. The fundamental problems of State interference in the lumber industry was never addressed. In a nutshell, it involves State price-fixing, which screws up a lot of things. The Tories responded to the symptoms. Nobody addressed the disease.

C-25An Act to amend the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and the Income Tax Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act – The Minister of Finance

Essentially – The State steals from us, but we can't steal from them. Harsher penalties thanks to this Act.C-26An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal interest rate) – The Minister of Justice

It's got to do with payday loans (short-term loans from non-traditional lenders). For example, if I was going to be short on cash to pay my bills I could go to one of these non-traditional lenders and get, let's say, $200 at a high interest. A lot of people consider the high interest as criminal, considering a lot of the borrowers are already poor and this will only put them deeper in debt. However, the reason the interest is so high is got to do with supply and demand, not the price gouging wickedness of the lenders. By trying to cap the interest rate, the Conservatives are guaranteeing that less of these loans will be made. Some may say consider this a good thing, but they fail to consider all those families that won't be able to borrow from these payday loans because of this coercive policy.

In addition, these loans are made voluntarily. Nobody forces individuals to borrow from these payday loan lenders. If the Tories really want to persecute criminal interest rates, they need to look no further than Mark Carney's Bank of Canada. Artificially low interest rates fuel speculation and destroy the economy. When the housing bubble bursts I imagine a lot of Canadians will try to blame Harper and his “free market economy,” whereas the true blame lays with Carney and his criminal interest rates.C-27An Act to amend the Criminal Code (dangerous offenders and recognizance to keep the peace) – The Minister of Justice

Stricter rules and harsher penalties for repeat offenders. It seems like a good idea if one ignores the “3 strikes you're out justice” in this Act. Things like this are best left to the private market.

In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.C-28A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on May 2, 2006 (Budget Implementation Act, 2006, No. 2) – The Minister of Finance

Tax credits for public transit, children's fitness, apprenticeships, etc. Tax reductions for small businesses. All the goodies people expect from Tories, but a failure to recognize the fundamental issue: taxation is theft.

C-29An Act to amend the Air Canada Public Participation Act (Air Canada and Its Affiliates Act) – The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

In 1988 Air Canada started to be privatized. Usually this is great news, but as the State is completely incompetent in doing anything right, Air Canada is still subject to various regulations. Here's an Act to force them to be bilingual. Obviously, an airline that operates in and out of Quebec has an incentive to provide services in both English and French. But that hasn't stopped this government (and its predecessors) from wasting time and money debating this idiotic issue.In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.

C-30An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, the Energy Efficiency Act and the Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption Standards Act (Canada's Clean Air Act) – The Minister of the Environment

The Conservatives may have pulled Canada out of Kyoto, but this Act still labels greenhouse gases as an air pollutant and allows the federal government to regulate Co2 as they see fit.

C-31An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act – The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

Deals with voter identification at the polls and voting fraud. In my opinion the whole electoral process is a fraud. This Act is just more bureaucratic nonsense.

C-32An Act to amend the Criminal Code (impaired driving) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts – The Minister of Justice

Drunk driving is easily detectable, but drug-induced driving (whether the drugs are legal or not) is harder to prove. This Act gives the police more power to impose their will on individuals. For libertarians/anarchists split over the issue of impaired driving, here's an excellent article by Lew Rockwell.

C-33An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, including amendments in relation to foreign investment entities and non-resident trusts, and to provide for the bijural expression of the provisions of that Act (Income Tax Amendments Act, 2006) – The Minister of Finance

Filling in the loopholes that people take advantage of when trying to avoid taxes.C-34An Act to provide for jurisdiction over education on First Nation lands in British Columbia (First Nations Jurisdiction over Education in British Columbia Act) – The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

First Nations in BC now have jurisdiction over their education system. Since this problem is inherent with State education, this minor fix seems helpful, but ignores the larger issue - State education is used to keep children docile and submissive to the State authority.

C-35An Act to amend the Criminal Code (reverse onus in bail hearings for firearm-related offences) – The Minister of Justice

More punishments for people with guns. Don't let the term “firearm-related offence” fool you, in Canada it's very easy to own a gun and break the law.C-36An Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security Act – The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

An Act to throw money at the problems of the crumbling Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Ponzi Schemes.

C-37An Act to amend the law governing financial institutions and to provide for related and consequential matters – The Minister of Finance

The Banks wanted some rules changed, so the State obliged (what else is new?)

C-38An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the financial year ending March 31, 2007 (Appropriation Act No. 2, 2006-2007) – The President of the Treasury Board

Justification for theft.

C-39An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the financial year ending March 31, 2007 (Appropriation Act No. 3, 2006-2007) – The President of the Treasury Board

See above.

C-40An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act, the Excise Act, 2001 and the Air Travellers Security Charge Act and to make related amendments to other Acts (Sales Tax Amendments Act, 2006) – The Minister of Finance

More regulation on tobacco, alcohol, airports and further measures to ensure the HST would become a reality.C-41An Act to amend the Competition Act – The Minister of Industry

Gives the Competition Bureau more power over the telecommunications industry.

In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.C-42An Act to amend the Quarantine Act – The Minister of Health

Brings Canada inline with the World Health Organization requirements for quarantining the public when diseases break out (the bill sights SARS as an example). Anyone else see a problem with this?

C-43An Act to provide for consultations with electors on their preferences for appointments to the Senate (Senate Appointment Consultations Act) – The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

The first step in electing Senators. A better option would have been abolishing the Senate.

In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.

C-44An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act – The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

The Canadian Human Rights Commission is a corrupt, anti-freedom institution that supports everything but human rights. This amendment has something to do with the Indian Act. It doesn't matter. Of all the doublespeak in the State, the Canadian Human Rights Act may be the worse.

In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.

C-45An Act respecting the sustainable development of Canada's seacoast and inland fisheries (Fisheries Act, 2007) – The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

State meddling in commercial fishing. Like I wrote in my critique of the NDP economic policy, the best solution to overfishing, etc. is private property rights in water.In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.

C-46An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of railway operations (Railway Continuation Act, 2007) – The Minister of Labour

Bureaucratic regulations and State interference in railway operations.

C-47An Act respecting the protection of marks related to the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games and protection against certain misleading business associations and making a related amendment to the Trade-marks Act (Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act) – The Minister of Industry

Intellectual property laws. This book does a great job at proving that IP is counter to individual freedom.C-48An Act to amend the Criminal Code in order to implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption – The Minister of Justice

As the title suggests, the Tories changed Canada's Criminal Code in order to implement a United Nations law. At what point did the New World Order supporters go from the fringe to the mainstream?

C-49An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the financial year ending March 31, 2007 (Appropriation Act No. 4, 2006-2007) – The President of the Treasury Board

More justifications for theft.

C-50An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the financial year ending March 31, 2008 (Appropriation Act No. 1, 2007-2008) – The President of the Treasury Board

See above.C-51An Act to give effect to the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement and to make a consequential amendment to another Act (Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act) – The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

The issue of native land claims is a big debacle in Canada, and the State is always making things worse. I don't know what a free market solution might look like, but I guarantee it will be more peaceful and effective than State coercion.C-52An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 19, 2007 (Budget Implementation Act, 2007) – The Minister of Finance

Tax goodies from a criminal organization that shouldn't be taxing you in the first place.

C-53An Act to implement the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (ICSID Convention) (Settlement of International Investment Disputes Act) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs

Allow the legislative summary to explain:

“On 30 March 2007, the Minister of Foreign Affairs introduced in the House of Commons Bill C-53, An Act to implement the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of other States (ICSID Convention).... The ICSID Convention establishes the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. Located in Washington D.C., the ICSID has close links to the World Bank.” [emphasis added]C-54An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (accountability with respect to loans) – The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

Just more nonsense from the State.C-55An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (expanded voting opportunities) and to make a consequential amendment to the Referendum Act – The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

As the title suggests, the goal is to increase the numbers of voters. This may give the illusion of a democracy, and one could argue Canada is a legitimate democracy – but freedom and democracy are incompatible.

In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.

C-56An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation) (Constitution Act, 2007 (Democratic representation)) – The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform

A readjustment of the members of the House of Commons.In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.

C-57An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Empowers bureaucrats, ignores fundamental problems with our immigration system.In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.

New powers to the Canadian Transportation Agency concerning railway transportation.

C-59An Act to amend the Criminal Code (unauthorized recording of a movie) – The Minister of Justice

If you get caught recording a movie in the movie theater, you instantly go to jail. No questions asked.

C-60An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the financial year ending March 31, 2008 (Appropriation Act No. 2, 2007-2008) – The President of the Treasury Board

Justification for theft to pay off the State's employees.

C-61An Act to amend the Geneva Conventions Act, An Act to incorporate the Canadian Red Cross Society and the Trade-marks Act – The Minister of Foreign Affairs

War is the health of the State, so amendments like these, although they seem good on the surface, really don't get at the underlying problem. Simply put, war is bad.

C-62An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Wage Earner Protection Program Act and chapter 47 of the Statutes of Canada, 2005 – The Minister of Labour

If a company goes bankrupt, it goes bankrupt. The fact that the State even gets involved with these issues is a sign of the times.C-63An Act respecting civil liability and compensation for damage in case of a nuclear incident(Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act) – The Minister of Natural Resources

And I thought the Conservatives were supposed to be against the Nanny State. If you're involved in a nuclear incident, then the State will give you money. Hopefully this won't create an incentive for people to go out and roll around in nuclear waste.In this session this bill never made it past first-reading.C-64An Act to amend the Pilotage Act – The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

More power to the Ministry of Transport. Anyone else alarmed at the major increases of power the Ministry of Transport got in this one session?

So that was the first session of parliament the Conservatives ran. As one can see, there really wasn't any “standing up for Canada.” It was just business as usual – more power to the State, more bureaucratic meddling and various amendments to Acts. All of it made possible by the massive theft we've come to know as taxation. It's interesting to note, however, that all taxes have to be approved by the Governor General, or “Her Majesty.” It'd be funny if one day the GG decided that the State must raise its funds voluntarily. Of course, “Her Majesty” would step in and denounce the decision. Perhaps that would open Canadians eyes to the fact that the Royal Family is still in charge of this country.